Trash, litter and recycling: tons of waste collected from Hilton Head beaches
Hilton Head Island beachgoers threw away over 60 tons of waste in May, which is equivalent to the weight of five school buses, according to the vendor responsible for its removal.
Of the 63.4 tons, about 90% was in trash bags and 4% in recycling bags, vendor Shore Beach Service reported. The remaining 6% consisted of umbrellas, canopies, chairs and miscellaneous items.
In the past year, it’s been 677.2 tons in total, but the months with the highest tonnage correlate with the busy season. It shows how much more Hilton Head beaches are frequented in the spring and summer months. Low recycling numbers point toward challenges with what the local landfill accepts, according to Shore Beach Service Operations Manager Mike Wagner. He said despite what social media may say, the trash is mostly thrown away properly, not littered.
Tons of waste stayed in single digits in November, December, January and February, but began to spike in March. There was a 803% increase in waste from 6.3 tons in January to 63.4 tons in May. Wagner said the tonnage is an estimate based on the average weight of a bag.
While some of the trash is litter it’s mostly placed in designated beach bins, according to Wagner. “It’s not like they’re just strewing it about the beach and we’re picking it up,” he said.
Unlike the tons of trash, which spike and fall with Hilton Head’s season, recycling numbers stayed in single digits year-round. Not all of the bottles and cans filling the beach bins can be recycled due to stringent contamination requirements.
Wagner said that where the recycling is taken, Hickory Hill Landfill run by Waste Management Solutions, requires low contamination levels in order for waste to be recycled. Recycling is contaminated when it contains trash, has food or liquid in it, or is in plastic bags, according to Waste Management Solutions.
“It becomes extremely difficult to recycle,” Wagner said.
He explained Hickory Hill Landfill previously accepted more recycling than it does today.
“We’ll pick through it to a limited degree, but not go through and sort,” the manager said.
In the coming months, the Town of Hilton Head Island will shift from contracting with Shore Beach Services to contracting with another local company, i2recycle, according to Wagner.
This story was originally published June 11, 2024 at 8:00 AM.
